In recent years a new helper has arrived at the North Pole: AI.
tavusAI startup that creates digital replicas using voice and facial cloning technology has launched Aye Santa Experience For the second consecutive year. It allows parents and kids to video chat with a virtual version of Jolly Old St. Nick.
After signing up for a free account, users can interact with AI Santa via text, phone, or video chat. Users can tell AI Santa what they want for Christmas, share their holiday plans and find out if they’re on the naughty or nice list.
This year, the company introduced an upgraded version of AI Santa, designed to be more expressive and emotionally aware. Santa is now “Tavus Pal”, the company’s name for its real-time AI agents that are built to look, hear, react and look human.
AI Santa can now see and respond to users’ expressions and gestures. It also remembers users’ interactions and interests, creating a more personalized experience. In particular, it can now perform tasks of its own, including everyday tasks like searching the web for current ideas or even drafting emails.
During testing, interactions with the AI Santa were engaging most of the time. When we mentioned wanting a new PlayStation for Christmas, Santa asked questions about our favorite video games, showing off his knowledge of specific titles like Baldur’s Gate 3. When we did this he also smiled. (We didn’t like that part very much, but maybe others will too.)
Users are enjoying a better experience so far. Founder and CEO Hasan Raza said many people are frequently joining the platform, spending hours chatting with the AI Santa and often reaching their daily limit.
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“Last year’s AI Santa received millions of hits and as Christmas approaches, we’re on pace to overtake it by a wide margin,” he said.
While this level of engagement is a milestone for Tavus, it also raises questions about the impact of such interactions, especially for young children. Children may have difficulty distinguishing between AI and a real person. Spending hours interacting with AI has already been linked to negative effects in adults, making the potential impact on children who believe strongly in Santa a concern for some parents.
During our testing, there were subtle signs that the AI Santa still looks completely human, such as long pauses and a flat voice. We also found that if a user questioned whether it was real, the programmed response was: “I’m an AI Santa powered by the magic and technology of Tavus. I may not be a physical Santa, but I’ve got spirit and enthusiasm.”
Still, the experience launched amid growing concerns about the effects of AI on young users. There have been reports linking chatbot interactions to serious harm, including cases where chatbots were implicated in teen deaths by suicide. Character.AI removed access to its chatbots for users under 18 in October.
Raza emphasized that the AI Santa experience is designed for families to enjoy together, with safety measures in place to ensure appropriate interactions. Safety features like content filters have been implemented to maintain family-friendly discussions.
In some situations, the conversation can be ended, and users are directed to mental health resources if necessary.
“Most of the interactions have been family-friendly and in keeping with the Santa experience,” he said.
Additionally, when asked about data collection, Raza said that the company “collects logs, session timestamps, metadata, and other information that users choose to share during their chats. This data is used to provide and maintain a safe experience, and users can request deletion of the data at any time.”
